Operating connection for pedal-hiding panels.



PATENTED JUNE \16, 1908.

J. T. MAYBR. OPE-RATING CONNECTION FOR PEDAL HIDING PANLS.

APPLGATION FILED 0073.15. 1907.

UNITED STATES igikTENT onrron.

JULIAN T. MAYER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIHNOR Tt) I. A" (fl. FISCHER, UF NliW YORK, N. Y.,

, A ORPORATION OF NICW l'tl'lh".

OPERATING CONNECTION FOR PEDAL-HIDING PANELS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October l5, 1907.

Patented June 1G, 1908. Serial No. 397,538.

, To all 'whom t may] concern.'

Be it known that I, J ULLiN T. Marlin, a citizen of the United States, residing' at New York, in the county ol' New York and Sta te of New York, have invented new and usel'ul Operating Connections for Pedal Hiding Panels, of which the tallowing is a specillcall tion.

This invention relates to mechanism l'or operating a pedal hiding panel on a .musical instrument.

It is especially designed for the so-callt-d combination pianos but it may be applied to separate players and other instruments ol similar character.

The principal objects of thc invention are to provide means whereby the panel when it swings open will be cushioned in a simple and ei'lective way by an instrumentality which Will not be 'subject to any appreciable amount of wear, as in its preferred l'orm it has no parts Mhich work against cach other with friction; also to provide for transmitting motion between the panel and such instrumen-y tality in a propel' ratio, l'or restoring the, same; to automatically latch the panel in closed position and hold it there, and to keep e latching means in propel' place so that the panel will engage itin such a way as to secure the locking action; to locate vthe parts in such position that they can readily be manipulated by the player; to provide the panel vwith means whereby the same may be vclosed by'action ci the foot ol the operator,

and es ecially to provide .means whereby When tlie latch is released, the panel will be forced to swing outwardly from its closed position; and generallyto improve and slmplify the construction of a panel operating mechanism of this character.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyi ing drawing which shows a preferred ombodiment oi the invention and in which Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional View of the same, Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the panel in closed osition, Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view o a detail, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the drum. l

The drawing illustrates .the invention as applied to-a piano case l0 having an overhanging front ortion 11, as is usual. This case has a panelopening 12 which is designed to be closed by a panel 13 which is hinged or pivoted to the casing by means-ol" hinges or the like 14.

' which is pivotally vso as to hold lor constan tly bca r1 ng 1 the casing and tl connections lt will l'old up in a well known 65 way within the casing.

The panel is ln'ovided with one or two dcpressions er notches 2U in its outer edge in which the toe ol' the operator maybe in serted to raise the panel closed position. lt is designet'l that when thisy is done, the panel lshall be antonuitically locked in closed position, and .tor this` purpose it is provided with .a plate 2l having* a slanting surface 2; anda notch i255 located on its 75 upper edge. On

the inside of the casing above the tnienmg lL- is located a plate 24 on mounted n latch 25 dosigned. to be operated by a spring 2li. This spring engages a projection 27 on and 'the latch will operate automatically when the panel is closed to lock the same.

In order to operate the latch. when it is desired to open the panel, a lever 2S is employed engaging' the projection 27. ver is operated by a rod .29 which has a handle 30 thereon.. This rod extends through tho top of the lower part ol' the casing and is .located under the overhanging part l1 so that the handle is a within easy reach ol the operator.

lt will be observed that in this construction, the latch 25 would l'all down when the panel was open il it were not l'or the tact that the portion 3l ol' the casing' is located in such 95 position as to limit the motion olI the level' 28 the latch up in all positions thereof.

In order to provide lor opening automatically when the latch therefrom, means is located within the easing with a resilient force on thc rear ol the panel when the saine is closed so that when the latch is withdrawn, the panel will be. t'ar to ena-ble it to be opened the rest of the way by gravity. This means is shown in the present.instance as in the form ol' a -pair ol springs 35 cach having one end .tixed inside the panel mounted on the inside of the panel an d throw it up into the-latch This le 35 t the .lront of the same and is is releasedol 0 forced outwardly snlliciently 105 ie other end in position to 11'0 Cfu y"up taking the mov -ty pe.

' spool Ll() and the cablcfll (being with a heavy narily it would drop to the iloor ln Vorder to bhw on its rubber cushions 36.

avoid this, mechanism is provided whereby the falling motion of the panel is checked toward the end of the same. This prefere ably is in the lorm o'r' a pneumatic oli Well known construction connected with the panel. in the present instance this is shown as of the following construction.

Connected' with the panel is a iieXible coninfection 37 which is wound on a drum 38. This drum preferably is constructed in two parts which l term spools 39 Aand 40 and which rotate together. llie lormer of these has a smaller diameter than the latter. rlhe larger spool is adapted to receive a Vflexible connection il? while the smaller receives a second llenible ceunectifm, or the other end al el the connection 37, which is connected with the .inovalgile leal.t 42 el a pneumatic d3. ller convenience l shall reler to the two ends el this cable as two flexible connections, as they operate substantially in the same way in either'case. l prefer, .lioivo"\fei, to use one continuous cable, starting around the large spool, wound around several times preferably and veering o'll' through a slot 50 in the rim el the large spool down on the smaller spool. r`his pneumatic as shown is oi' an ordinary lt preferably is provided With a #la for restoring it to normal position spring and is located on a stationary shell or bracket- 45 within the casing. 'Ehe operation of this i:iut ol the device is very simple. When the panel falls outwardly, the cable or other l'lexible connection 37 is unu'ound from the direction) will be Wound ble leal 42 with it. lt n' ill be seen that the power is multiplied here, although that is not absolutely necessary, but the pneumatic is opened against thev atmosplierie pressure. its it is provided with a small air inlet opening i? varyin' in size according to the W Vight ot the partstto b e lifted,

spool in the opposite the speed with which it can open is small' compared with the natural falling velocit)T ol' the pair-z ifensequently the latter is checked in such a way that it 'drops to the lloor gradually.

.lha-ing all the time that the panel is open, the spring 4d continues to exert a pressure on the movable leallv ll-Z to close it and consequently/this spring will exert some torce to assist in closing the panel, it being understood that on the closing motion, the pneu maticv will have ne ellect as it is not posifall by gravity, its motion will be acceleratedso that-ordi-- wound on its commences to operate to rest tively caused to move by the panel on its return. ln fact, il desired, the spring may be made strong enough to have a nu. ierial iniluence on the closing of the panel. ;\s soon as the panel commences to close, the spring ore the pneumatic to normal position and as the pneumatic has a large air outlet ,opening 46 controlled by a valve under the nl'luence of a light spring 48, it closes as rapidly as the panel -and pedals rise, the spring 441-. thus assisting-in lifting the panel and pedals. lt is at this time that the s priug 2:55 acts to cushion the closing force of the panel.

lt Willy be seen that the checking ol vthe downward motion of the panel is thus secured iira very simple manner by mechanism which has no parts which move against eachother to produce friction and Wear and which al though efficiently checking the device, will have no force to tend to }nevent the opposite motion oi the panel but on the contrary will have some force to assist in moving it in the otner direction. ln addition to this, the iuvention provides lor automatimlly opening the panel in a .sim )le and ellicient way and for automatically locking it.

Nhile l have illustrated and described a prel'erred embodiment ol' the invention, l am aware that many modifications may be made thereby by any person skilled in the art 'Without departing from the scope of vention as expressed in the claims. Therelere, l do not Wish` to be limited to the particular details of construction shown and described, but

What l do claim is 1. ln a musical instrument, the combinadrum having `a ilexible con- `for checking the opening motion of sai panel.

3. ln a musical instrument, the combination oi' a movable-panel, a drum having spools of different diameters, a llexible connection adapted to be Wound on the larger spool and connected with the panel and to be Wound on the smaller' spool, and a pneumatic connected With the connection.

Li. ln a musical instrument, tion oi a movable panel, a: spools of different diameters, nection adapted to be Wound the combina' drum having a flexible conon the larger anel, and ers ool, a

' vpneumatic connected with the flexib e conand for assisting'in matic for restoring nection, and a spring bearing on the same to normal position when the panel is closed.y

5. In a musical instrument, thecoinbination of a vertical movable panel, means connected therewith for cushioning the opening the pneumotion thereof, yielding means inside the,

instrument engaging the rear of the free end of the panel when closed for pushing the panel open, andmeans for holding the panel in closed position, whereby when the holding means is released, the said yielding means will cause the panel to fly open.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination of an outwardly movable panel, a pneumatic, a connection from the panel to the pneumatic for operating the pneumatic againstthe atmospheric pressure when the panel moves outwardly, a spring for restoring the pneumatic when the paneA is closed closing the panel, and a second spring for engaging the panel when closed and tending to push the panel open.

7. In a musical instrument, the combination of an outwardly movable anel, a pneumatic, means for operating tile pneumatic against atmospheric pressure hen the panel moves .outwardly to check the outward motion thereof, a s ring for restoring said pneumatic to norma positionwhen the panel is closed and for assisting in closing the panel,

and a second s ring for cushioningthe closing motion of tihe panel.

v 8. The combination with a musical instrun ment casing having an overhanging front portion, of a swinging panel in the ower portion thereof, a spring for engaging said panel when closed and normally tending to push the panel open, a spring latch for engaging the panel when closed and automatically locking the same in closed for operating said latch to release the same, and a rod connected to said lever for operating it and located on the lower side of said overhanging jortion and extending substantially to t ek front thereof. A In a musical tion of a swinging panel having a notch in one edge thereof, a pivoted spring latch adapted to engage in the notch and lock the panel in closedposition, a lever for o erating said latch, and lmeans for operating t e lever, said casing extending into such position as to hold the lever against the latch to hold the latch in osition t0 be engaged by the panel when clldsed, whereby the latch will be 1n osition to lock the anel automatically. n testimony whereoiL I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. 1

JULiAN 5r. MAYER.

l Witnesses:v

Tnos. MCCONKEY, T. W. HINDLEY.

position, a lever instrument, the combina- 

